It’s here. The day that seemed like such a good idea eight months ago … before Sarah was even born. :)
“Hey honey. The Water Quality Association’s invited us to give the keynote in March next year in Orlando. Let’s take the whole family!” said Tim, with all the Clark Griswoldian enthusiasm he could muster.
Wait, it’s still a good idea. It is a great idea. It is a great idea. It is a great idea.
And we are thankful to be in a position to make it happen. We are thankful. We are thankful. We are thankful.
It is. We are. 
On Tuesday, I’ll be conducting a marketing workshop in Orlando, Florida, for 60-100 folks, and on Wednesday, I’ll be giving the keynote address at Aquatech 2010 (Coolest Convention Name Ever Maybe) in front of about 1000.
I am far less anxious about speaking in front of a thousand people than I am traveling to Orlando today with a five-year and a five-month old.
Luckily, my wife started packing two months ago. She started planning four months ago. She’s ready. If mama’s ready, everybody’s ready.
Luckier still, my in-laws are coming. They’ve been wonderful to us over the years, and it’ll be nice to have them as company in the rental house. Yep, I said rental house. Dee went through VRBO.com and found a whopper of a vacation rental with its own indoor pool for a fraction of what hotel rooms would cost us.
Even luckier, my sis is coming down to visit and help and play. It’s a real family affair.
My friend Julie said yesterday:
“Enjoy it, no matter what. Our most stressful moments have become our best memories.”
Well said, J. My friend Alex then suggested that he wasn’t sure about ‘best’ but certainly ‘most enduring.’
But Alex is, you know, English.
We shall see. The Miles Family Truckster pulls out at noon for the airport. Southwest wheels up at 3:40.
“I am going to Florida on my airplane,” says Will.
Well, that settles it. Gotta get ready to catch Will’s airplane.
What’s up, Mouse? Nice to meet ya.
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Do you give great gifts? Perfect gifts? Are you that person?
Each of us has that one person in our realm of association who’s just a better gift-giver than everyone else. They make a high art out of giving just the right gift.
That’s a powerful skill to possess, my friends. 
Think about how you scratch your head in wonder at how he surprisingly came up with just the right thing.
My friend and colleague, Paul Boomer, recently gave me a pen and a book that leave me still scratching my head. In an effort to help you present more thoughtful gifts to your clients, vendors, and friends, I’ll deconstruct what Paul did:
- He gave me a pen. As a writer, I value a good writing instrument as much as I value good verbs. I will constantly have his gift in my hand. When planning your next gift, think what would be of good use to your recipient.
- He made the pen. Yup, that’s what I said. Sorry to bury the lede. He made the sucker – out of Paduke, an exotic wood that will darken with age. “How long did you take to make this pen, Boomer?” “Oh, about four hours.” When planning your next gift, think how you can invest more time than money.
- He sent a follow-up email later that evening with hyperlinks detailing how the pen was made. He saw that I was clearly very interested in the process, so he anticipated my questions and provided me a bonus gift of a great story. When planning your next gift, think how you can make it even more special by providing a good story.
His second gift – the book – was originally published in 1980 and just recently reprinted.
Are you familiar with the Choose Your Own Adventure older-children’s books?
You see, Boomer and I often talk together to prospects about the defining characteristics of good websites. I’ve often asked prospects if they were familiar with those books as they’re a great analogy for how visitors with different personas will each travel different paths on a site but all should hopefully end up with the princess and not being eaten by the dragon. He’s heard me say something similar on a dozen occasions.
The book symbolically means nearly as much to me as the pen.
When planning your next gift, consider any analogies or metaphors your recipient may use with frequency – are there any symbolic gifts you may give them?
To make a memorable impression when saying, “Hey. You matter:”
- Invest more time than money.
- Keep your ears and eyes open and don’t be afraid to jot down notes now in your little black book ahead. Always be shopping.
- Give gifts at the most unanticipated of times.
Become an Artist of Giving. No need to thank me.
Consider it my gift to you.
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